BANCROFT 
LIBRARY 

THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


THE  PIONEER 


The  Pioneer 


By 

,.  S.  Mercer 


Price   $1.00 


Printed  and  bound 

by  The  Henneberry  Company 

Chicago 


E  / 
M 


Copyrighted,  1913,  by 
A.  S.  MERCER 
All  rights  reserved 


BANCROFT 
LIBRARY 

0 


THE  PIONEER 


Lovingly  dedicated  to 
the  Pioneers,  their 
children  and  children's 
children  withersoever 
dispersed  aronnd  the 
globe,  by  the  author. 


Preface 

USHERED  into  the  lap  and  nourished 
from  the  breast  of  a  Pioneer  Moth- 
er, it  is  but  natural  that  I  should 
have  imparted  into  my  being  strong  sym- 
pathies for  the  pioneers.  As  a  little  tot  I 
sat  in  a  circle  around  the  yule  log  fire  on 
Christmas  Eve  when  the  pioneers  of  the 
neighborhood  were  gathered  and  listened 
to  the  stories  of  the  hardships,  endurance 
and  by  vicissitudes  of  the  early  pathfind- 
ers. The  Indian  Chief  Shabona,  the  white 
man's  friend,  with  his  tribe  still  tarried  in 
our  vicinity  and  he  was  a  frequent  visitor 
at  my  father's  house.  During  all  of  my 
earlier  years  my  chief  associations  were 
with  the  pioneers  who  were  domiciled 
11 


13  THE    PIONEER 

around.  In  fact,  with  the  exception  of  a 
few  years  spent  at  school  my  entire  life  has 
been  associated  almost  continually  with 
these  heroic  characters.  I  have  studied 
them  from  the  tangent  of  every  possible 
arc  of  their  life  circle.  I  ought  to  know 
them  —  and  I  do  from  Alpha  to  Omega. 
The  picture  that  I  have  drawn  in  the  fol- 
lowing pages  of  these  heroic  characters  is 
not  a  fiction  nor  a  fancy,  but  one  of  real 
personalities.  The  pioneer  was  not  the 
product  of  any  particular  section  of  the 
country.  Latitudinal  and  longitudinal 
lines  cut  no  figure  in  their  development. 
The  southern,  the  middle  and  northern 
zones  stretching  from  the  Atlantic  to  the 
Pacific  all  knew  them  and  recognized  their 
sterling  qualities.  They  were  the  same  in- 
dividuals wherever  found,  their  thoughts, 


THE    PIONEER  13 

impulses  and  actions  the  same.  At  this 
time  there  are  but  few  of  them  left,  gener- 
ally they  have  crossed  the  great  divide  and 
their  spirits  have  found  their  way  and  they 
are  seated  high  up  in  that  "house  not  made 
with  hands,  but  eternal  in  the  heavens." 
In  the  United  States  there  are  practically 
left  no  fields  for  the  pioneer  to  conquer. 
He  has  blazed  the  way  to  every  section 
and  millions  have  followed  him  to  happy 
homes,  but  his  children  are  left  who  should 
point  with  pride  to  their  forbears,  and 
treasure  lovingly  remembrances  of  them. 

I  am  proud  to  be  able  to  give  to  the 
world  a  true  and  honest  description  of 
these  wonderful  individuals.  The  ac- 
knowledgment of  their  worth  comes  late, 
but  people  will  appreciate  it  even  now. 


14  THE    PIONEER 

BOOKS  IN  PREPARATION  BY  COL. 
A.  S.  MERCER 

Reason  and  Instinct 

This  will  be  a  book  of  two  hundred  and 
odd  pages.  It  will  demonstrate  beyond 
any  question  of  doubt  that  our  so  called 
dumb  animals  and  wild  beasts  have  the 
same  reasoning  capacity  that  boastful  men 
possess.  A  lifetime's  experience  has  given 
unnumbered  examples  showing  clear  dem- 
onstrations of  rashoshunation  if  not  phi- 
losophy. These  stories  will  not  be  bor- 
rowed from  newspaper  reports,  but  will  be 
recitals  of  things  really  seen. 

Will  probably  be  on  the  market  the  first 
of  the  coming  year,  and  should  be  a  wel- 
come visitor  to  every  house  throughout  the 
land.  Price,  $1.50. 


THE    PIONEER  15 


Rhythms  From  the  Log  of 
the  Duphuny  Gluh 

This  will  be  a  book  of  four  hundred  or 
more  pages.  It  will  consist  of  a  little  phi- 
losophy, a  good  deal  of  landscape  word 
painting;  actual  experiences  and  true  sto- 
ries of  frontier  life.  There  will  be  some 
pictures  founded  on  facts  and  a  few  in- 
stances where  the  imagination  will  be 
given  full  sway.  Will  be  on  the  market 
about  May  I,  1914.  Price,  $2.00. 


"THE  PIONEER" 

By  Col.  A.  S.  Mercer 

THE  word  "pioneer"  opens  up  an  end- 
less chain  of  thought  and  sheds  a 
halo  over  our  land  from  ocean  to 
ocean.  Scarce  a  league  of  terra  firma, 
from  the  sun-kissed  shores  of  the  southern 
seas  where  the  orange  yellows  on  the  tree, 
the  grape  purples  on  the  vine  and  nature 
delivers  her  stores  with  open  hand,  to  the 
frozen  north  where  only  the  lichen  clings 
to  the  rocks  as  a  pledge  that  the  laws  of 
production  have  not  been  repealed,  but  has 
thrilled  at  the  tread  of  this  matchless  fore- 
runner of  civilization. 

The  branches  of  the  trees  of  the  prime- 
val forests  of  the  Atlantic  seacoast  bowed 
to  the  pioneer  as  he  approached,  with  rifle 

16 


THE    PIONEER  17 

and  axe,  with  a  welcome  as  sweet  as  a 
maiden's  kiss. 

As  he  advanced,  the  prairies  this  side  of 
the  Alleghenys  covered  themselves  with 
red,  yellow  and  purple  blooms  as  a  greet- 
ing and  a  promise. 

The  great  American  desert,  stretching 
from  the  Missouri  to  the  Rockies  —  the 
backbone  of  the  continent —  forbidding  as 
it  was  to  the  average  man,  held  out  tokens 
to  this  dauntless  spirit  and  bade  him  not 
despair. 

Then  the  mountains  raised  their  heads 
across  his  pathway  for  thousands  of  miles, 
robed  in  white  and  skirted  with  green. 
Each  towering  peak  that  kissed  the  sky 
and  each  spring  that  bubbled  up  and 
trickled  down  over  moss  covered  rocks, 


18  THE    PIONEER 

meandering  midst  evergreen  shrubs  and 
ferns,  were  veritable  sign  manuals  to  seal 
the  invitation  to  come  and  rest  in  their 
shade  and  drink  of  their  limped  waters. 

Once  the  summits  of  the  Rockies  were 
scaled  a  panoramic  view  was  spread  before 
the  wondering  eyes,  illimitable,  brown  and 
sear,  yet  withal  entrancing.  Desert  gloom 
was  there,  but  pine-clad  hills  and  grassy 
knolls  lifted  their  heads  as  signs  that  all 
was  not  bad. 

Last  came  the  slopes  of  the  Pacific,  their 
giant  trees,  verdure  clothed  hills  and  sunny 
vales  laughing  in  glee  and  warbling  joyous 
notes  of  welcome  to  him  who  dared  ap- 
proach. 

Who  was  and  is  this  pioneer  who  came 
forth  to  spy  out  the  land?  He  was  the 


THE    PIONEER  19 

gift  of  the  creator.  A  man  who  loved  his 
fellow  men.  A  man  every  pulsation  of 
whose  heart  was  sympathetic. 

That  restless  spirit  that  gave  up  the 
sweet  caresses  of  loved  ones  near  and 
clear;  that  broke  away  from  friendships 
lifelong;  that  threw  aside  the  treasures 
and  allurements  of  developed  and  organ- 
ized society  and,  taking  his  life  in  his 
hands,  boldly  marched  out  into  wild  and 
unknown  regions,  was  actuated  by  some 
motive  higher  than  the  love  of  adventure 
or  the  lust  for  personal  renown. 

Analyzed  from  the  standpoint  of  his  life 
on  the  frontier  the  conclusion  is  irresisti- 
ble that  there  were  two  underlying  motives 
that  governed  his  actions  and  determined 
his  life  work.  First,  he  loved  his  race  and 


20  THE    PIONEER 

desired  to  get  out  from  under  the  influence 
of  the  rapidly  spreading  idea  and  practice, 
crystallized  in  the  modern  expression  "do 
your  neighbor  before  he  does  you."  He 
believed  in  the  brotherhood  of  man.  That 
kindness  and  benevolence  to  that  brother 
should  be  the  rule  —  not  the  exception. 
Seeing  everywhere  about  him  the  con- 
verse of  this,  he  grew  nervous  and  longed 
to  change  his  environments. 

Second,  there  is  a  subtile  influence  that 
surrounds  us  all,  weak  in  some,  strong  in 
others,  which  stimulates  a  desire  to  go 
forth  and  do  something  different  from  the 
conventional  and  in  harmony  with  natural 
laws.  What  is  the  source  of  this  desire 
comparatively  few  understand  and  fewer 
still  stop  to  consider.  The  truth  is  that  it 
is  a  part  of  the  Divine  plan. 


THE    PIONEER  21 

Away  back  in  the  early  days  of  our  gen- 
ealogy the  command  went  forth  from  the 
Creator  "Go  ye  out  into  the  world  and  sub- 
due it."  With  the  command  came  the 
moving  spirit,  the  longing  to  "go  out"  and 
do  our  part  in  the  great  work  of  subduing 
nature — making  it  contribute  to  the  wants 
and  necessities  of  him  who  was  created  in 
the  image  and  after  the  likeness  of  God. 
Looking  down  the  ages  we  discover  this 
as  a  more  or  less  active  characteristic  of 
the  human  race  from  the  time  of  the  first 
wrestling  match  in  the  garden  —  when 
Adam  shirked  and  cast  all  the  blame  on 
the  woman  —  even  down  to  the  present 
day. 

Thus  we  have  before  us  the  pioneer  un- 
masked. He  stands  there  the  exponent  of 
love,  faith  and  honor  —  a  holy  trinity. 


22  THE    PIONEER 

Love  the  cornerstone,  faith  the  superstruc- 
ture, and  honor  the  polar  star  that  even 
guides  and  controls.  Search  the  annals  of 
every  frontier  settlement  from  Plymouth 
Rock  to  the  golden  sands  of  the  Pacific  and 
the  records  will  show  that  every  latch- 
string  hung  on  the  outside.  That  such  as 
he  had  freely  he  gave  unto  all  comers ;  that 
welcome,  the  sweetest  word  in  all  lan- 
guages, save  love,  was  written  in  big  let- 
ters above  the  door,  blazoned  on  every 
approach  and  beamed  from  the  face  and 
eyes  of  every  member  of  the  household. 
That  no  sorrow  laden  individual  ever 
came  without  receiving  the  fullest  measure 
of  sympathy  and  comfort.  That  each  one 
helped  and  sought  the  good  of  his  neigh- 
bors as  conscientiously  as  he  sought  his 
own  —  that  the  helping  hand  was  ever  out- 


THE    PIONEER  23 

stretched  to  all.  That  in  case  of  sickness 
there  was  ever  a  watcher  at  the  bedside 
administering  without  money  and  without 
price.  When  the  pale  horse  stalked  into 
their  midst,  loving  neighborly  hands 
closed  the  eyes,  fashioned  the  shroud,  dug 
the  grave,  made  the  coffin  and  tenderly 
laid  the  form  away  in  the  dust  of  which  it 
was  made,  to  sleep  the  last  sleep  and  rest 
from  toil  and  pain.  Generally  there  was 
no  minister  to  lead  the  exercises  and  some 
neighbor,  perhaps  uneducated  in  the 
choice  of  words,  dropped  the  sprig  of 
acacia  in  the  open  grave  as  a  symbol  of 
the  faith  that  though  gone  from  earth  the 
loved  one  still  lives ;  said  a  few  plain  words 
that  came  from  the  heart,  unalloyed;  re- 
peated the  Lord's  prayer  he  had  learned 
to  lisp  at  his  mother's  knee,  and  bowed, 


24  THE    PIONEER 

uncovered,  in  the  presence  of  death  and 
the  assembled  mourners. 

These  records  prove  the  unimpeachable 
honor,  as  well  as  the  loving  manliness  of 
the  pioneer.  His  word  was  his  bond,  his 
law  and  gospel.  No  written  bond  in 
double  the  sum,  with  the  pound  of  flesh  as 
penalty,  was  given  or  required.  To  ques- 
tion one's  word  was  to  impugn  his  honor, 
and  trouble  followed.  Unfettered  by  stat- 
utory enactments,  free  as  the  wind  that 
swept  o'er  mountain  and  plain  —  the  free- 
man whom  the  truth  made  free  —  his 
actions  were  shaped  and  controlled  by  an 
innate  consciousness  of  right,  which,  being 
in  harmony  with  the  convictions  of  his 
neighbors,  formed  an  unwritten  law  as 
binding  as  the  sentence  of  the  highest 


THE    PIONEER  25 

court  and  as  unalterable  as  the  statutes  of 
the  Medes  and  Persians,  or  the  laws  of 
nature  that  hold  the  stars  in  place. 

There  seems  to  be  a  general  disposition 
among  right  thinking  people  to  accept  the 
Ben  Adhim  idea  of  love  of  fellow  men  as  a 
close  approximation  to  real  Christianity. 
The  little  poem  by  Leigh  Hunt  entitled 
"Abou  Ben  Adhim"  illustrates  very  clearly 
the  kind  of  men  who  made  up  the  list  of 
pioneers :  "They  loved  their  fellow  men/' 


26  THE    PIONEER 

Abou  Ben  Ad  him  and  the  Angel 

Abou  Ben  Adhim,  may  his  tribe  increase, 
Awoke  one  night  from  a  deep  dream  of  peace, 
And  saw,  within  the  moonlight  in  his  room, 
Making  it  rich,  and  like  a  lily  in  bloom, 
An  Angel,  writing  in  a  book  of  gold : — 
Exceeding  peace  had  made  Ben  Adhim  bold, 
And  to  the  presence  in  the  room  he  said, 
"What  writest  thou?" — The  vision  raised  its 

head, 

And,  with  a  look  made  of  all  sweet  accord, 
Answered,  "The  names  of  those  who  love  the 

Lord." 

"And  is  mine  one  "  said  Abou,  "Nay,  not  so," 
Replied  the  angel.    Abou  spoke  more  low, 
But  cheerily  still ;  and  said,  "I  pray  thee,  then, 
Write  me  as  one  who  loves  his  fellow  men." 
The  angel  wrote,  and  vanished.    The  next  night 
It  came  again  with  a  great  wakening  light, 
And  showed  the  names  whom  love  of  God  had 

blessed, 
And  lo :    Ben  Adhim's  name  led  all  the  rest. 


THE    PIONEER  27 

The  pioneer  was  not  always  a  scholar, 
but  he  was  always  a  gentleman  in  the 
truest  sense  of  the  word.  He  was  a  dia- 
mond in  the  rough,  perhaps  as  a  rule,  but 
occasionally  he  was  found  possessing  the 
polish  and  learning  of  the  collegiate.  This 
I  discovered  to  my  amazement  in  the 
spring  of  1861  on  the  beach  of  Puget 
Sound,  a  few  days  after  my  arrival  in  that 
sunset  land.  Strolling  by  the  water's 
edge,  sniffing  the  invigorating  salt  air  and 
revelling  in  the  magnificent  view  of  the 
Olympian  range  of  mountains  fifty  miles 
across  the  blue  waters  and  green  forests 
bordering  Admirality  Inlet,  suddenly  I 
came  upon  a  middle  aged  man  shaving  and 
shaping  ox  yokes  under  the  shade  of  a 
bower  house  on  the  sea-girt  shore.  Ar- 
rayed in  pants  and  shirt  carrying  all  of  the 


28  THE    PIONEER 

patchwork  colors  of  Joseph's  celebrated 
coat,  I  accosted  him  as  an  old  timer  and 
among  other  inquiries  asked  as  to  the 
healthfulness  of  the  country.  This  was 
his  answer:  "It  is  generally  supposed 
that  the  constant  inhalation  of  an  aqueous 
atmosphere  is  deleterious  to  the  lungs,  but 
my  experience  here  fails  to  verify  the  opin- 
ion." Here  was  a  sentence  not  only  cor- 
rect but  one  in  which  the  most  exact  terms 
were  employed  and  the  fewest  possible 
number  of  words  used  to  express  the  de- 
sired meaning.  Naturally  I  sought  his 
further  acquaintance  and  learned  that  he 
was  a  college  bred  man  who  had  "gone  out 
into  the  world  to  help  subdue  it"  and  was 
a  true  soldier  in  the  frontier  battalion. 

Such  experiences  as  this  were  not  un- 
common —  in  truth,  the  pioneer  averages 


THE    PIONEER  29 

up  a  good  deal  higher  in  intelligence  and 
resourcefulness  than  does  the  average  por- 
tion of  the  human  race,  taken  as  a  whole. 

As  confirmatory  of  the  statement  that 
the  true  pioneer  was  always  a  willing  help- 
er, I  may  give  some  further  personal  expe- 
rience. When  I  located  in  Seattle  in  the 
spring  of  1861,  there  was  less  than  one 
hundred  people  in  the  town  and  about  half 
that  number  in  the  surrounding  country 
settlements.  Everyone  was  pleased  to  see 
a  newcomer  and  especially  so  if  he  had 
come  with  a  family.  On  his  arrival,  if  he 
desired  to  take  up  land,  and  become  a 
farmer,  some  one  was  appointed  to  show 
him  the  vacant  claims.  Having  made  his 
selection,  the  preacher,  the  doctor,  the  ped- 
agogue, the  merchant  and  half  a  score  of 
others,  with  axes,  saws,  frows,  etc.,  all  car- 


30  THE    PIONEER 

rying  a  lunch,  accompanied  the  stranger 
on  foot  or  by  canoe  —  as  there  were  no 
horses  and  wagons  —  to  his  claim,  and  be- 
fore nightfall  there  was  completed  a  com- 
modious cabin,  clapboard  roof,  puncheon 
floor  and  a  door  with  wooden  hinges,  the 
latchstring  of  rawhide  left  hanging  on  the 
"outside." 

This  was  not  the  exception  but  the  rule 
for  many  years  and  the  practice  prevailed 
from  the  rock-bound  coast  of  the  Atlantic 
away  to  the  pebbly  beach  of  the  Pacific. 

The  hardships,  sufferings  and  endur- 
ance of  the  pioneer  never  have  been  and 
never  can  be  fully  told.  They  mark  the 
darkest,  most  sublime,  yet  from  a  historic 
standpoint  the  brightest  page  in  American 
history.  It  was  one  constant  battle  to  the 
death,  notwithstanding  the  rainbow  prom- 


THE    PIONEER  31 

ises  held  up  to  lure  him  on.  Words  are 
inadequate.  The  marvelous  descriptive 
powers  of  a  Victor  Hugo  and  the  magnetic 
speech  of  an  Edward  Everett  are  as  pale  as 
moonbeams  to  the  searching  rays  of  a  mid- 
day sun  on  Sahara's  desert  sands  in  their 
weakness  to  draw  the  picture  of  this  hero 
of  hssS9£  in  his  westward,  conquering 
march. 

We  of  today  ride  in  our  carriages  over 
macadamized  roads  at  our  leisure,  or  fly 
across  the  continent  in  palace  cars  on  busi- 
ness or  pleasure  bent,  admiring  the  beauti- 
ful homes  that  line  our  way,  and  going 
into  ecstasies  of  delight  at  the  panoramic 
views  of  mountain,  plain  and  gorge  with- 
out a  thought  of  him  who  led  the  way. 
But  for  this  courageous  individual  such 
things  could  not  be. 


32  THE    PIONEER 

But  for  the  pioneer  who  fought  his  way 
step  by  step  amidst  vicissitudes  and  perils 
great,  across  the  Alleghenies,  the  black  dia- 
monds of  Pittsburgh  would  still  lie  buried 
in  their  earthy  fastness ;  her  hundred  hills 
covered  with  residence  and  business  pal- 
aces would  still  be  clothed  in  nature's 
garb ;  her  millions  upon  millions  of  annual 
products  be  unknown  in  commercial  marts. 

But  for  this  same  pioneer,  who  literally 
waded  the  swamps  of  western  Ohio  and 
Indiana,  reeking  as  they  were  with  ma- 
laria and  smelling  of  death,  Lake  Mich- 
igan would  be  a  veritable  dead  sea  save 
for  the  fish  that  swim  in  its  waters  and  the 
wild  fowl  that  wing  their  passage  o'er  its 
surface.  Chicago,  the  marvel  of  all  peo- 
ple, and  of  all  ages,  would  have  no  exist- 
ence —  its  countless  arteries  of  trade  that 


THE    PIONEER  33 

lead  toward  the  setting  sun  would  never 
have  been  vitalized. 

The  great  west,  home  of  millions  of  free, 
fearless  people,  would  today  be  inhabited 
by  only  the  beasts  of  the  forest  and  plain, 
and  the  red  man,  still  untutored,  carrying 
the  tomahawk  and  scalping  knife.  The 
great  hope  and  uplifter  of  the  race  — 
free  homes  —  would  have  failed  to  do  its 
work. 

Let  us  go  for  a  moment  with  this  pio- 
neer as  he  ventures  forth.  In  the  early 
days  of  the  western  pilgrimages  the  wife 
and  babe  in  arms  rode  the  one  horse  be- 
longing to  the  family.  The  husband  and 
father  leading  the  way  on  foot  with  gun 
and  hunting  knife  and  loaded  down  with 
parched  corn  and  blankets.  If  there  were 


34  THE    PIONEER 

older  children  they  followed  in  single  file, 
as  there  were  no  roads,  not  even  a  trail. 

Trusting  in  God  and  his  unerring  aim, 
he  crossed  over  mountain  and  plain,  pick- 
ing his  way  through  forests  dense,  wading 
streams  and  camping  where  the  shades  of 
evening  fell  upon  his  pathway.  In  this 
manner  —  the  sun  by  day  and  the  milky 
way  by  night,  his  chart  and  compass  - 
hundreds  of  miles  were  traversed,  every 
foot  of  his  route  bordered  by  wild  beasts 
and  the  lurking  foe  of  the  paleface  —  the 
painted  red  man. 

The  quality  of  men  and  women  who 
dared  the  hardships  of  pioneer  life,  phys- 
ically, mentally  and  morally  was  such  as 
to  leave  an  imprint  upon  the  future  that 
time  cannot  destroy.  Not  only  were  they 


THE    PIONEER  35 

pure  in  mind  and  heart,  with  a  loving-kind- 
ness as  sweet  as  that  emanating  from  the 
garden  of  Gethsemane,  but  they  possessed 
undying  energy  and  courage  unsurpassed 
in  ancient  or  modern  warfare. 

The  pioneer  came,  not  like  an  army  with 
banners,  buoyed  by  the  concord  of  sweet 
sounds  from  string  and  wind  instruments 
and  the  touch  of  shoulder  to  shoulder  as 
they  marched,  sweeping  all  before  them; 
but  in  groups  of  twos  and  three  treading 
their  way  through  trackless  woods  and 
over  burning  sands,  passing  at  myriad 
points  the  bleaching  bones  of  those  who 
have  essayed  to  pass  before  them.  These 
white  landmarks,  glittering  in  the  noon- 
day sun  are  the  milestones  of  our  western 
civilization,  at  every  one  of  which  should 
be  erected  an  altar,  built  of  shining  gran- 


36  THE    PIONEER 

ite,  decorated  with  precious  stones  and  be- 
dewed with  the  breath  and  tears  of  mil- 
lions of  heart  offerings  at  the  sacred 
shrines. 

Realizing  the  early  conditions  and 
studying  the  character  of  the  men  and 
women  who  accepted  them,  still  forging 
ahead  into  the  unknown,  we  are  enabled  to 
arrive  at  a  fair  estimate  of  the  sterling 
mettle  of  their  descendants  and  picture  in 
our  mind's  eye  what  their  influence  is  to 
be  in  the  molding  of  opinions  and  the  con- 
trol of  the  land  they  captured  and  peopled. 

Thus  through  all  the  pathless  realms 
came  our  forbears,  planting  the  seeds  of 
an  aftermath  that  was  to  grow  into 
shapely  man  and  womanhood  and  form  an 
imperial  part  in  shaping  the  destinies  of  a 
great  nation. 


THE    PIONEER  37 

Following  closely  behind  these  outriders 
and  seed  planters  of  a  permanent  and 
healthy  civilization  came  the  second  crop, 
men  and  women  fashioned  largely  after 
their  forerunners,  filled  with  hope,  purity 
of  purpose  and  endowed  with  sublime 
courage.  This  was  the  era  of  the  Prairie 
Schooner,  lovingly  and  faithfully  de- 
scribed by  Gertrude  Ray,  of  Carrolton, 
Ohio,  under  the  caption  of  the 

Empire  Ship 

I  have  sung  my  songs  to  the  stately  ships 

That  are  sailing  the  seven  seas, 
But  today  I  sing  of  a  cruder  craft  that 

Laughed  at  the  lulling  breeze. 
Of  the  Prairie  Schooner  quaint  and  slow, 

With  its  dim  and  dusty  sails, 
A  phantom  ship  of  the  long  ago, 

Adrift  in  the  grass  grown  trails. 
Westward  ho.    Westward  ho. 


38  THE    PIONEER 

Out  where  the  winds  are  sweet  and  low, 
And  the  grassy  cradles  swing  and  sway, 
The  Star  of  Empire  takes  its  way. 
Westward  ho. 

Ere  the  bellowing  steed  of  steel  and  steam 

Had  startled  the  sleeping  deer ; 
Where  the  curlew  whistled  its  timid  call 

To  the  gray  goose  nesting  near, 
Through  the  fair  fresh  prairies,  hushed  and 

hid 

Where  the  wild  wolf  made  her  den, 
There  came  this  land-launched  schooner 
Manned  by  bronzed  and  brawny  men. 
Westward  ho.    Westward  ho. 
Out  where  the  bold  brisk  breezes  blow, 
And  a  young  world  walks  in  the  fields 

of  May. 
The  Star  of  Empire  takes  its  way. 

Westward  ho. 

And  in  that  marvelous  ship  that  sailed 
To  the  shores  of  the  wondrous  west, 


THE    PIONEER  39 

Was  a  mother  who  caroled  a  song  of  joy 

To  trie  babe  at  her  happy  breast ; 
And  stowed  away  in  the  good  ship's  hold 

Were  a  book  and  a  plow  and  a  pen, 
And  a  sickle  and  seeds — yea,  all  God  needs 
For  the  making  of  matchless  men, 
Westward  ho.    Westward  ho. 
Out  where  the  golden  harvests  glow, 
And  the  builders  are  building  day  by  day, 
The  Star  of  Empire  takes  it  way. 
Westward  ho. 

These  "phantom  ships"  set  their  courses 
to  every  point  of  the  compass  and  after 
stormy  passages  anchored  on  the  broad 
plains  of  the  trans-Missouri,  in  the  moun- 
tains, valleys  and  on  the  slopes  of  the  Pa- 
cific. Their  wakes  were  veritable  trails  of 
blood,  but  the  heroic  sailors  forming  the 
crews  of  these  scattered  sails  stood  to  their 
guns,  and,  notwithstanding  their  thinned 


40  THE    PIONEER 

ranks,  finally  conquered  a  lasting  peace 
that  opened  up  the  vast  and  golden  west 
to  the  on-coming  home-seeker. 

History  will  repeat  the  story  of  the 
Meeker  massacre,  the  Custer  extermina- 
tion and  a  few  of  the  more  noted  encount- 
ers with  the  savage  tribes,  but  who  will 
chronic  the  thousands  upon  thousands  of 
minor  conflicts  where  single  individuals  or 
entire  families  gave  their  lives  —  left  their 
bodies  as  feasts  for  the  wolves  and  their 
bones  to  whiten  and  crumble  on  the  sun 
scorched  plains  in  their  struggle  for 
homes  ? 

Who  will  tell  the  story  to  future  genera- 
tions of  the  heartaches,  the  long  vigils  kept 
and  the  nervous  strain  of  those  pioneer 
mothers  in  their  lonely  cabins,  while  the 


THE    PIONEER  41 

father  was  absent  in  search  for  meat  to 
fill  the  empty  larder  or  on  the  quarterly 
trip  to  the  distant  trading  post  for  needed 
supplies  and  the  letters  from  the  loved 
ones  in  far  away  lands? 

Who  will  tell  the  story  of  the  hardships 
endured,  the  great  labor  performed  in  the 
planting  and  building  up  of  the  homes 
scattered  over  an  area  thousands  of  miles 
square  with  no  roads,  no  markets,  no  sup- 
ply stores  and  often  no  money?  An  un- 
conquered  but  willing  nature  was  the 
source  of  supply  and  a  strong  arm  the 
only  key  by  which  the  storehouse  was  to 
be  unlocked. 

Through  all  of  these  troubles  the  pio- 
neer has  passed  and  the  country  is  now 
full  or  rapidly  filling  with  an  ambitious 


BANCROFT 
LIBRARY 


42  THE    PIONEER 

people.  The  church  stands  on  the  hill; 
the  little  red  school  house  nestles  by  the 
roadside  and  the  home  with  all  that  the 
word  implies,  is  everywhere  in  evidence 
and  a  generous  prosperity  marks  the  pres- 
ent era. 

As  indicated  in  the  last  line  of  the  little 
poem  repeated,  we  are  "growing  match- 
less men,"  yea,  and  peerless  women,  whose 
patriotic  inspirations  will  encircle  the  earth 
and  live  until  time  shall  be  no  more. 

That  the  east  recognizes  the  splendid 
character  of  our  western  grown  men,  per- 
haps could  not  be  more  clearly  shown  or 
more  aptly  illustrated  in  few  words  than 
by  relating  the  following  incident: 

Some  thirty  years  ago  a  very  distin- 
guished and  greatly  loved  Mayor  of  Bos- 


THE    PIONEER  43 

ton  made  a  trip  to  the  then  west,  spending 
some  weeks  mixing  with  the  people.  Re- 
turning to  his  home  of  noted  culture  his 
friends  gave  him  a  public  reception.  Be- 
ing asked  his  opinion  of  the  men  with 
whom  he  had  broken  bread  in  the  outlying 
districts  he  said:  "The  western  man  is 
simply  a  yankee  enlarged." 

And  why  should  he  not  be  a  yankee  en- 
larged ?  He  comes  of  stock  that,  like  gold, 
has  passed  through  a  furnace  seven  times 
heated  and  purged  of  its  dross.  His  ideals 
are  formed  from  a  study  of  his  ancestry 
and  of  necessity  are  high.  As  long  as  he 
keeps  in  mind  the  crowning  characteristics 
of  that  line  from  which  he  springs,  so  long 
will  he  be  a  power  against  which  the  com- 
bined assaults  of  modern  anti-democratic 
influence  will  beat  in  vain.  Hence  the  im- 


44  THE    PIONEER 

portance  of  placing  the  pioneer  in  his  true 
light  before  the  present  and  future  genera- 
tions, that  all  may  know  and  appreciate 
his  sturdy  manhood,  unswerving  rectitude 
and  loyalty  to  the  simple  forms  of  free 
government. 

Then  to  the  pioneer  let  us  say:  "Ave 
atque  vale" — hail  and  farewell.  You 
came  as  the  trusted  agent  of  the  Lord. 
You  have  done  your  work  and  soon  the 
world  will  know  you  no  more  forever. 
Search  the  records  of  all  time  and  nowhere 
will  be  found  a  class  of  braver,  more  noble 
men,  nor  a  class  who  have  accomplished 
so  much  for  their  race,  or  left  such  endur- 
ing monuments  to  personal  worth  and 
honor.  One  by  one  as  they  have  passed 
to  that  upper  realm  their  spirits  have 
winged  their  way  to  that  glorious  Valhalla 


THE    PIONEER  45 

where  none  but  heroes  find  entrance. 
Again  let  us  say:  "Ave  atque  vale"  — 
hail  and  farewell. 

Hark.  Hearest  thou  that  soft  soothing 
sound?  It  comes  from  the  echoless  shore. 
"  Tis  the  flutter  of  angels'  wings  as  they 
gather  from  their  heavenly  mansions  with 
expectant  look  and  beaming  spirits;  the 
voices  of  sweet,  loving  mothers  who  have 
gone  before  and  patiently  awaited  the 
coming  of  their  sons ;  the  pattering  of  lit- 
tle children's  feet  as  they  run  o'er  the 
golden  street  to  the  pearly  portal.  From 
the  great  white  throne  issues  the  com- 
mand: Open  ye  the  gate. 

Ah,  who  comes  there?  Not  the  mili- 
tary chieftain  with  his  martial  tread  and 
glittering  sword,  pointing  to  a  million 


46  THE    PIONEER 

dead  on  sundry  battlefields  as  his  proud 
record  and  merit  card  of  admission;  not 
the  king  upon  whose  vassals  the  sun  never 
went  down  and  who  comes  with  coach  and 
six,  and  tasselated  outriders;  not  the  dis- 
tinguished citizen  who  dressed  in  purple 
and  fine  linen  and  sat  in  the  high  places. 
No,  none  of  these,  but  the  pioneer,  weary 
of  step  but  with  the  consciousness  of  work 
well  done  shining  in  his  eyes. 

Again  a  voice  from  the  great  white 
throne:  "Let  him  enter.  He  was  the 
true  and  loyal  pathfinder.  He  raised  no 
brazen  serpent  by  the  roadside,  but  he 
hung  the  starry  flag  of  hope  on  the  hill- 
top, in  the  vale  and  the  glen.  His  candle 
was  ever  lighted  and  millions  have  fol- 
lowed him  to  happy  homes.  His  foot- 


THE    PIONEER  47 

steps,  though  oft  leading  o'er  burning 
sands  and  cactus  plains,  through  forests 
dense  that  teemed  with  countless  foes ;  o'er 
craggy  peaks  and  hanging  rocks,  always 
pointed  the  way  to  a  land  of  final  peace  and 
happiness.  His  heart  was  always  right; 
his  motives  pure.  Come  now  to  thy 
recompense." 


* 


